Using transforms when zoomed in?
Are you talking about the 3D transformation "widget" or armature bones? Edit Mode? Object Mode? Assuming you mean the widget...

You may want to set the Pivot Point, which will control where the widget is displayed, along with the origin used for scaling and rotation. In EDIT mode (where most detailed modeling is done), if set to anything other than "3D Cursor", it should appear at the selected vertex. In OBJECT or EDIT mode, you could set it to "3D Cursor" and move it around by placing the cursor. (Of course this is of limited use when rotating or scaling)

But, the best solution is to not use the transformation widget at all. Blender was made with the idea of one hand on the keyboard, and one on the mouse. To perform transformations, just use keyboard shortcuts G to Grab (Translate), R to Rotate (and R again for Trackball style rotation), and S to Scale. You can also use the keyboard to constrain to a single axis with X, Y, Z, or the middle mouse button. Use Shift when selecting an axis to lock that axis and use the other two.